You are here

COLUMBIA, Ky. — Cumberland junior Antonio Manuel Marcelo is the Mid-South Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week, conference officials announced on Tuesday.

The award is Marcelo’s second this season and of his career. He also earned the award on March 11.

The Cascais, Portugal, native, won his two singles matches and split his two doubles matches last week against nationally ranked opponents.

Marcelo and teammate Diogo Soares -- who are ranked No. 10 in the NAIA Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings -- opened the week against Graceland’s fifth-ranked Birkir Gunnarson and Jose Daniele Razo Torres in the top doubles match.

Gunnarson and Torres won the hard-fought, top 10 matchup 8-4 to earn the only Graceland point in doubles play.

Marcelo — who is ranked No. 16 in the ITA singles rankings — bounced back against ninth-ranked Gunnarson to take the top singles match 6-3, 4-6, 6-2. It was one of five Cumberland wins in singles.

In Cumberland’s 5-2 win over No. 7-ranked Xavier (La.), Marcelo and Soares defeated Nikita Soifer and Kyle Montrel — who are No. 12 in ITA doubles — 8-2 as the Bulldogs won two of three doubles matches.

In the top singles match, Marcelo defeated No. 17-ranked Montrel for the second time this season. The latest win came in straight sets with a 6-3, 6-4 victory.

Cumberland’s team win avenged a 5-4 loss to Xavier on March 8 in Montgomery, Ala.

No. 8-ranked Cumberland moved to 3-4 on the season with last week’s wins.